Araya Selassie Yohannes

Araya Selassie Yohannes
Cropped image of Arya Selassie
King of Tigray (disputed)
Reign	1872–1888
Successor	Gugsa Araya Selassie
Born	1869/70 Enderta, Tigray, Ethiopia
Died	10 June 1888 Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia
Burial	Medhane Alem Church, Mekelle
Spouse	Leult Zewditu Emet Negest Sendek
Issue	Gugsa Araya Selassie
House	House of Solomon (Tigrayan Branch)
Father	Emperor Yohannes IV
Religion	Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo

Ras Araya Selassie Yohannes (Tigrinya: አርአያ ስላሴ ዮሓንስ araya səllase yohannəs; "horse name" Abba Deblaq) (1869/70 – 10 June 1888) was a son of Emperor Yohannes IV from his wife Masitire Selassie, a daughter of a Muslim Afar chieftain whom he married after she was Christened. Araya was nominated Crown Prince.^[1]

Araya was the first husband of Zewditu (later Empress), the daughter of atse Menelik II, having married her in January 1883. He was given the command of Wollo province at the time of his wedding. Because of a revolt raised in Wollo due to the death of dejazmach Amda Sadiq, chief of Tekaledere, in a quarrel with Araya's followers, Yohannes IV decided to appoint ras Mikael Ali, the traditional claimant to the lordship of Wollo.^[2] Ras Araya was transferred to Begemder and Dembaya in May 1886. In 1887–88, when the country was facing the Italian threat, he was commander of 40,000 troops near Adwa.

Araya died in his youth from smallpox, when the Emperor was returning from a campaign against the Italians at Seati (Battle of Dogali). His only son, by a weyzero Negesit, a lady from Wollo, was leul ras Gugsa Araya.^[3]